Rodney Dean

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Rodney A. Dean Sr.

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 4, 2024

Personal

Birthplace

Woodbury, N.J.

Religion

Baptist

Profession

Community activist

Rodney A. Dean Sr. (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on June 4, 2024.

Dean completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Rodney A. Dean Sr. was born in Woodbury, New Jersey. Dean's career experience includes working as a community activist.

Elections

2024

See also: New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2024

New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2024 (June 4 Democratic primary)

New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2024 (June 4 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House New Jersey District 2

Incumbent Jeff Van Drew defeated Joe Salerno and Thomas Cannavo in the general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jeff Van Drew (R)	58.1	215,946
		Joe Salerno (D)	41.2	153,117
		Thomas Cannavo (G)	0.7	2,557

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 371,620
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2

Joe Salerno defeated Tim Alexander, Carolyn Rush, and Rodney A. Dean Sr. in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on June 4, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joe Salerno	38.3	14,057
		Tim Alexander	37.1	13,613
		Carolyn Rush	21.3	7,836
		Rodney A. Dean Sr.	3.4	1,235

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 36,741
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Brandon Saffold (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2

Incumbent Jeff Van Drew advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on June 4, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jeff Van Drew	100.0	41,749

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 41,749
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Dean in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Rodney A. Dean Sr. completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Dean's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Rodney Dean Sr I'm a father a son a grandfather a friend and a very good man that stands on honor and honor alone I do not break my word I'm not afraid to fight for the working man or the military man elderly children young adults men and women that need help and the LGBTQ community I will fight for all. Come see me with any problem and I will help you personally take care of it and I love the children and keeping the elderly safe.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• To ensure that are community is safe kids children young adults and elderly also the men and women that have served. Make sure our veterans have a job making great money having insurance great insurance because they risked their lives so we can do what we want to do so we can run for political position so we can wake up in the morning and feel safe The military service men and women that's in the service or that's retired and came home as veterans need to be treated very well they should not have to fight for disability a job a place to live mental physical help from any doctor any housing or any job including disability I will fight hard for my veterans I will fight hard for the military men and women that still serving and I thank you.
• Stop the killing of young adults children kids the elderly the middle age carjacking house invasion just killing for no reason because someone has something you want when you can go out and work for it teach you how to fish teach you how to cook the fish you don't know how to take care of yourself instead of taking from someone else take care of the community Love one another and stand up with honor. To be honest to be an honorable man if someone comes in my office I will not tell them I am not in I will listen to everyone that needs my help I'm a man of my word I stand on honor I have an open door policy. To serve and protect.
• Protect the LGBTQ community help the military that has mental physical and emotional problems help the community teach them and it starts in the schools so they can learn their own history and know their neighbor's history so we can get along and understand one another and build a great America for some people America has never been great but we can make it great together it takes a village and we are the village to make America great we want justice justice is ours.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Helping the children the kids and the young adults teach them love them stop walking around them stop and talk to them and ask what can I do to make your life better so they can help their neighbor make their life better. Protect the elderly and make sure our military men and women have everything they need mentally physically and emotionally and a man standing on his own two feet with honor taking care of his woman and children.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Muhammad Ali not just because he was the greatest in the ring but he took care of everyone that didn't matter their race Creed or color he helped everyone he stood up for what he believed in and he won he was a great man Muhammad Ali will always be my idol he did things for everybody he talked to everybody helped everybody when he was broke and didn't have any money He's still fought for what he believed in he was a man of honor.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

James Baldwin you can Google any other speeches read any of his books listen with your ears and your brain That's the book That's the video That's the message I would first tell people to inquire about Mr James Baldwin.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

To stand on your word not to lie help the community that you're involved in or communities not ignore the problem that's been in your face for years take money and not get back to the community keep our elderly safe and make sure our military men and women are also taking care of our teachers doctors and love each other come together as one because we are great. We are great people it takes a village to make America great it was built on the backs of real hard working people no matter race color or creed come together as one and serve you community with honor.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I tell the truth at all times I'm not afraid to tell the truth I help I protect the elderly I want to help our military men and women that serves that's retired Make sure they get there just dues and keep the communities that's underneath my watch safe walk the streets talk to the people see how I can help how we can fix whatever problem comes up whatever problem there is and I'm proud to be a man of honor respect and loyalty. Love being loved by my children not having any p drama feed in the drama feeding the hate face it head on and defeated because of a I'm a man of honor and respect I love and I want to be loved and I won't never change I always be the same if I see you somewhere I'll treat you good at all times no matter who I'm in front of.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To take the phone calls help the community do not lie to him let them know change is going to come with help because you stand on your word you stand on what you say so you prove it by doing it by showing that you have the integrity and your man or a woman of honor and respect help give a person or person's a hand up.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That I'm a man of honor that I loved everyone that my children love me and I love them My grandchildren love me and I love them and the communities that I have the responsibility of looking out for protect and serve them and love them help them and protect the elderly protect the LGBTQ community so no one gets hurt because they just want to live the American dream and I'm the man that will protect you that will help you that will love you because I stand on my own two feet as a man of honor and respect.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Civil war slavery why did men and women want slavery and why things were just taken from other people and not told about it in school had to learn about it in the streets by our elders That's my first historical event that I remember.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was 14 walking the neighborhood in Woodbury New Jersey asking the neighbors can I cut their grass Pooh their weeds and there was a man that gave me an opportunity and I did a great job and I work for him until he passed away so probably about 2 years first job.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Any of James Baldwin's books I don't have a favorite I like them all because you can learn history Make sure history does not repeat itself so yes James Baldwin would be the offer and any of his books I would love to read.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Myself because God made us as his image so an angel that loves shares and takes care of his people.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Change is going to come by Sam Cooke.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Opportunity The opportunity to help the youth the young men women kids children and young adults to teach them what I know to open up a boxing gym so they can get that frustrations out make friends. Our youth young adults can tell us adults things that they can't tell their parents that they're afraid to tell someone else be there for them protect everyone in the community Make sure our elderly is protected and get what they need medically physically and emotionally also our military be a man of honor and thank them for fighting for our lives.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Dave Chappelle is my favorite comedian I enjoy his jokes the way he delivers I don't have this one.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

https://www.britannica.com

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Start with our school systems teaching our children the responsibility of credit of paying bills of drugs what they do to you they change your attitude and your spirit teach our children that they have to stand on honor Love and respect Love thy neighbor protect the elderly help the elderly thank the military men and women for their services be as great as you can be because we are great The people are great protect America so America can be great it takes a village to make America great and we are the village so let's start with us it's our turn we want justice and justices ours everyone protect America by any means necessary.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Rodney A. Dean Sr. campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House New Jersey District 2	Lost primary	$0	N/A**
Grand total			$0	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

See also

2024 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

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External links

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Footnotes

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New Jersey's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Cory Booker (D)

Andrew Kim (D)

Representatives

District 1

Donald Norcross (D)

District 2

Jeff Van Drew (R)

District 3

Herbert Conaway (D)

District 4

Chris Smith (R)

District 5

Josh Gottheimer (D)

District 6

Frank Pallone (D)

District 7

Thomas Kean (R)

District 8

Robert Menendez (D)

District 9

Nellie Pou (D)

District 10

LaMonica McIver (D)

District 11

Mikie Sherrill (D)

District 12

Bonnie Coleman (D)

Democratic Party (11)

Republican Party (3)